Peafowl colors and type

[spectrumranch]

So what do you call a spalding that has a blue chest? because there are "spaldings" that do not have green chests!

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:

Steve, Java is only 1 of the Green species. ANY green crossed with any blue (or blue mutation ie white) gives you a Spalding. So Spalding only means green crossed with blue (or white, or blue pied, or cameo, etc) not specifically Java green, could be Burmese instead of Java - no real distinction is made in the term Spalding.

Val

Gotcha thanks Val

 

[GardienneWings]

Quote:
It is still a spalding. The name donotes that it HAS green blood in it not that it EXHIBITS the green blood - that is why as Derrman says, it is important to list the % of green blood. The more Green the more consistantly your offspring will Exhibit the green genes . Low percentage greens can look like blues, look like greens, or look like a mix of both. I have some low % green hens that the only difference between them and my blue hens is that the green on the neck extends to the top of the head, otherwise you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. They are in my mixed pen rather than my green pen because of the low% green.

Val

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

That's what the breeder we got ours from said, the higher % green breed more to what the adults look like. there would be some that had more green some that had more blue. When I asked about the other greens that could be used to make emerald spaulding they said only shady breeder would do so without informing the buyer.

Steve

 

[spectrumranch]

Quote:
I quess I'm more old school or just old, than I think!

I bought my first spaldings when I was a sophomore in High School (22 years ago) and my first Java Greens in 1990. We have raised Spaldings in Spalding, Emerald Spalding, Pied Spalding, Cameo Spalding, White Spalding & Purple Black Shoulder Spalding.

What I don't understand is: WHY is it not acceptable to call a good quality Spalding with a green chest an EMERALD SPALDING?

I understand the percentage listings 3/4, 7/8, 15/16 and that is fine for some marketing tactics. Because ANYONE that has purchased Spaldings from a hatchery, a breeder that doesn't list/know percentage or HAD spaldings before the percentage listings were used- DOES NOT know what percentage of green blood.

I also understand that the United Peafowl Assn- lists "SPALDING" as a variety, they DO NOT list them as "emerald spalding", "green spalding", "java spalding", "3/4 green spalding", "7/8 green spalding" ETC, ETC. This is because as stated: "It is still a spalding"; SO calling a spalding and EMERALD only refers to quality just like calling them a 3/4, 7/8, 15/16, 31/32.

This is why the higher quality (higher percentage green) were/are classified as Emerald Spalding, it classifies them as having green coloration.

It's great that some people raise specific percentages, I am not against listing percentages or calling them Emeralds. Another thing to remember is if you are breeding percentages- pair breedings or pens with the same percentages are required!

Examples- if you are breeding a few spaulding hens to a male, all the hens in that pen need to be the same percentage. If the male is a pure green and the hens are 3/4 then the offspring are all 7/8.

But if the male is a pure green and there would be a 3/4 hen, a 7/8 hen and say a 11/16 hen--- then the chicks produced would all be different percentages, unless you keep each hen seperate or see which hen produces each egg- you can not sell the chicks as a certain percentage! It does not always mean you are a "shady breeder" by not listing percentages- to me it means you are being honest, by not knowing or caring what percentage they are.

Just my thoughts,
Randy

 

[GardienneWings]

I guess since the term Emerald is now a description rather that a correct term it could be used as such, however many still people use Emerald to mean anything 3/4 or higher % green so if someone says they have an Emerald Spalding you almost need to ask their definition of Emerald

The problems came in when people starting saying anything with a green-phenotype was an Emaerald Spalding. I agree with you that Emerald should be a color like Cameo, etc and not a gene %. I still refer to my low percentage (IB looking) Spaldings as blue Spaldings because this describes what they look like! So although saying green Spalding or emerald Spalding may seem redundant it is an accurate description of a very green colored Spalding, just like saying 15/16ths Spalding. One just refers to phenotype and the other to genotype. But old habits die hard!

And yes, everything in the pen must carry the same % of green or you cannot honestly say what % the offspring are. That's why I only have 15/16ths in my "Green pen" makes life easier and I can honestly say what % comes out of there. SOMEDAY I will have a Java male, but for now, I will be content with my 15/16ths

Val

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Val,
How do your 15/16's do in the winter cold in VA? We really wanted to go higher than 7/8 but that worried me.

Steve

 

[Kev]

Good comments, Randy. When someone does use emerald, I do assume the person means something 3/4 or higher green blood but as Val says.. personal definition varies quite a bit. I have seen a LOT of "Emeralds" that looked far less green than my own hybrids or 3/4 blood birds..... So if I am on the hunt, I always ask questions and this is even more important- show me pictures of the bird for sale, or if possible, parents too. If the person for whatever reason is unable to provide a pic of the very bird(s) for sale at the very least.. not going to happen with me, end of story. Definition is used and applied way too broadly..

Quote:
Excellent point. I have a similar question.. how do people come up with percentages when it is spalding x spalding? I have seen people list chicks out of 3/4 x 3/4 as 7/8ths.. but, even if the person lists the chicks as 3/4 blood, this is not exactly correct- some birds are going to have slightly more, some are going to have less.. or have a very varied mix, such as having more of a "Green long legs and tall body type" but more India coloring.. I always wonder about this regarding spaldings of colors where it is required to do spalding x spalding such as Pied spalding- cannot get a loud pied out of pied spalding x pure green for example yet have seen "7/8 pied spalding" etc. So.. how does one assign percentages to birds like that?

 

[spectrumranch]

Great point Kev---

even more important- show me pictures of the bird for sale, or if possible, parents too. If the person for whatever reason is unable to provide a pic of the very bird(s) for sale at the very least.. not going to happen with me, end of story

Seeing what the bird actually looks like is very important. In todays world- cameras are everywhere and affordable.

I have a similar question.. how do people come up with percentages when it is spalding x spalding? I have seen people list chicks out of 3/4 x 3/4 as 7/8ths..

LOL, I quess not everybody uses the same math system. Cause where I went to school (not that I was any scholar either) 3/4 with 3/4 equals 3/4.​

 

[Kev]

Yep, cameras are everywhere, even most cell phones have them..

The trouble with spalding x spalding is the fact they're a mix of two species. Meaning they are a mixed pot of genes. So two spaldings are essentially two mixed pot of genes so they are going to throw a "mixed assortment" of chicks. For example some of the chicks out of 3/4 x 3/4 pairing, to concentrate on just one trait: some of them may have yellow on their cheeks, some may have just a blush, some may have a good deep yellow, yet others may have no yellow but may have a large solid naked area which is white.. Etc. It's the genes getting shuffled up and chicks getting luck of the draws.. So even if they're technically 3/4s, some are going to have more green traits or less green traits than their 3/4 parents.

I'm really curious to know how people give a percentage to something like loud splashy pied spaldings, which means they had to come from two spalding parents as being 7/8 or whatever number.. Do they go with the percentage of the parents themselves or do they just look at the bird and guesstimate the % or what?

I've never seen a clear "rating system" for spalding besides only those back bred to a PURE green...... this won't work for for opal, white, pied spaldings.. So I'd really like to see one that concerns spalding x spalding